Apparatus and method for the conservation, shipment and exhibition of fresh flowers

Abstract

The present disclosure includes an apparatus and method of use to facilitate storing, conserving and exhibition of fresh flowers particularly where the flowers originate in country such as Columbia and are internationally shipped to a country such as the United States and doing so while the flowers are maintained completely hydrated. Hydration is accomplished by placing fresh flowers stems into florists' foam which is soaked to make hydration continuously available to the fresh flowers during storage shipment and exhibition. Thus there is no water to leak from the packaging and no need to maintain the shipping container in a vertical upright position. The packaging further includes perforations so the fresh flowers can breath while being stored and in transit and the packaging includes a stand for exhibition of the flowers at a convenient and attractive height of about waist high when the fresh flowers arrive at a retailer having no special equipment or personnel for the care of perishables. The exhibition box contained within the shipping container is equipped with a custom symmetric geometric shaped opening for firm support of the bucket containing the fresh flowers and soaked florists' foam. The disclosure further includes a series of steps for opening the shipping container, discarding packaging material and placing the bucket of fresh flowers into the top of the exhibition box. Finally, the method includes the optional step of adding water to the bucket.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates generally to the field of packaging for shipment, conservation and point of sale display of fresh flowers in a retail facility having no equipment or personnel to care for the flowers until they are sold. It includes special apparatus for the conservation of fresh flower during shipment by keeping them hydrated. But hydration cannot be done with just water in a container because such a configuration is very prone to leakage. That is because the realities of courier shipment are that the shipping containers are not maintained in an upright position. Hydration is maintained by soaking a florist's foam with water and inserting the cut flower stems therein. The foam retains the water but at the same time makes it accessible to the cut flower stems regardless of the orientation of the shipping container.[0003]2. Description of the Prior Art[0004]The present invention relates packaging used for t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]Bearing in mind the foregoing, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a package for the storage, conservation, shipping and final exhibition of fresh flowers which provides advantages that no other prior art package achieves in its entirety, especially continuous hydration.

[0013]Another principal object of the present invention is to provide a package that maintains the same hydration levels of the flowers similar to containers with water which allows for freshness conservation during the packaging process at the post harvesting sites in the originating country all the way through exhibition at the point of sale in the final destination country after international shipping.

Problems solved by technology

In the prior art commercial fresh flowers have been packaged from their harvest until their display in commercial points of sale in a manner that causes rapid deterioration such that their vase lives are substantially diminished.

When fresh flowers are shipped from their country of origin, such as Colombia, to both the main cities and remote towns of another country, such as the United States, the conditions of storage, conservation and shipping are even more demanding than when shipment is to a central flower market, or wholesaler.

Furthermore, if the fresh flowers are delivered to point of sale retailers who employ people inexperienced in the care and display of fresh flowers, is an additional problem, which can lead to further deterioration of their state.

However, it is not practical to use the above mentioned method when the flowers are being shipped internationally such as from Colombia to the United States, due to the difficulty of transporting products containing water (high shipping costs to attempt to maintain the shipping containers in an upright posit a d restrictions from the shippers to transport water).

Additionally, there are a great number of potential points of sale that cannot be served because they either are not equipped to handle perishables, or the costs associated with such shipping makes such sales not financially viable.

In the prior art, fresh flowers shipped internationally are usually shipped dry, because, as explained above, shipping in containers of water is not practical.

However, not all Walmart location are so equipped.

They need to unpack, cut the stems, place them in buckets of water and exhibition of them in their shelves, all of which affects the final quality and the final cost of the flowers, not to mention that these packages are trashed and cannot be recycled.

This is very expensive and thus not practical for even bouquets of flowers.

Images